What Did You Start Off As?

[Lee Gold]

Has anyone here say worked e.g. in a factory or has been been in a job they don't like to then go onto an electrician? What ages did you pursue this?

 

[Leesparkykent]

Born and bred Sparky.....grandad and dad are both sparks so its all I've ever done.

 

[Dave OCD]

My dad and grandad were machine tool setters and recognised as at the top of their game but I'm a sparks, started off with an apprenticeship with the local Health Authority, mostly maintenance in Hospitals, then maintenance/installation in a pottery followed by a sheepskin tannery [smelly]. After that 4 years with a small contractor mostly domestic and new build estates, then 24 years for the County Council as an electrical inspector mostly on street lighting, highway power supplies etc supervising and issuing/inspecting replacement works ['asset management']
I escaped from there while I still had my sanity in May 2014 and went self-employed. Although I'm working really hard a lot of the time and 52 now I wish I'd taken this route much sooner.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

My dad and grandad were machine tool setters and recognised as at the top of their game but I'm a sparks, started off with an apprenticeship with the local Health Authority, mostly maintenance in Hospitals, then maintenance/installation in a pottery followed by a sheepskin tannery [smelly]. After that 4 years with a small contractor mostly domestic and new build estates, then 24 years for the County Council as an electrical inspector mostly on street lighting, highway power supplies etc supervising and issuing/inspecting replacement works ['asset management']
I escaped from there while I still had my sanity in May 2014 and went self-employed. Although I'm working really hard a lot of the time and 52 now I wish I'd taken this route much sooner.

Stoke lad?

 

[Dave OCD]

Stoke lad?

No mate, Cornwall !

 

[GMES]

A twinkle in my dads eye

 

[LankyWill]

Grandad was a steel plant electrician in wales, dads a failed plumber (couldn't stick it) now a suit. Thought id reset the balance and became an electrician. Been doing it for 6 years, qualified 2 whilst training i was a 'Barista' at a highstreet coffee chain.

 

[Rpa07]

Triple shot, skinny, low foam lattes on LankyWill then, interesting thread - how diverse we all are.

 

[Kamikaze]

I’m still working on being a bright spark. Might get that right one day.

 

[Mablec]

Has anyone here say worked e.g. in a factory or has been been in a job they don't like to then go onto an electrician? What ages did you pursue this?

In 1969 I was 15 and working in a bed factory totally bored, during my lunch hour I walked across the road not to a building site, asked for an electrician and by luck the guy I met was the boss of the electrical contracting company, he liked my cheek so took me on. I started there and then first job was to tidy the cable store I never went back to the factory and notepad enrolled in college took 5 years to get my C certificate, love this trade always laughing but looking forward to retirement in 2019

 

[LankyWill]

Triple shot, skinny, low foam lattes on LankyWill then, interesting thread - how diverse we all are.

Haha you sound just like all the bored stereotypical 20 something mums that used to plague the place. If your really 'cool' soya milks the new in. Apparently.......

 

[Leesparkykent]

Haha you sound just like all the bored stereotypical 20 something mums that used to plague the place. If your really 'cool' soya milks the new in. Apparently.......

Did you manage to conquer a few of them Will?

 

[not clever]

14-16 worked part time for fencing contractor weekends & school holidays
16-17 full time with fencing contractor
17-23 big green fighting machine (not so big now)
23-30 Auto electrician/mobile data comms
30-now Senior comms tech & sparking

 

[sam400]

When I left school at 16 I worked for an employment agency that had loads of work, they used to send me to Marshal Tufflex factory to pack drain pipes, trunking etc for 12hrs at a time! Didn't need to do that for very long before I realised I needed to do something a bit better with my life.
I did an electrical/ mechanical apprenticeship with Ibstock bricks.
Then many years later by chance I ended up back at Marshal Tufflex as a subbie and spent a few months repairing and maintaining all the extruding plant so went full circle!

 

[Rpa07]

The most exotic I go for @LankyWill is a flat white. My wife likes a Starb@cks but is off the milk due to what it does to her skin (bit of advice there boys for the wives!) so now I have to order a Venti iced Americano with 4 pumps mocha, 4 pumps peppermint and 'no ice'. I take it home 1/2 it, add ice and make it last two days - well we all know 'Sparks' don't pay! Shame I can't put it down as sustainance to the HMRC.

 

[LankyWill]

Did you manage to conquer a few of them Will?

Ha i wish mate, i was a shy 17 year old at the time. If only i had the years of mental torture and stupid on site antics i have now.